Time to bring all the good ideas to one place to be read by all the guys who want to survive, prosper
And live with like minded people when SHTF. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I like to think of it as being proactive. I dont want to wait until the SHTF, if this can happen it will set us all up for life. We do need to think local first. Somewhere out of fallout range of any "target". Weather doesnt bother me but the wife is a no-go for desert.

We need someplace with a forest and mountains but not too cold.

The ouchitas do provide great weather. Snow is rare, maybe once a year. I am not a huge fan of AR but thats city life. The Ouchita forest is beautiful.

Need lakes and streams for fishing, fertile ground for crops.

Thats all good here as well but would rather go more North with bigger mountains. I think its almost unavoidable to find good mountains with good fishing and no snow. I mean its 100% doable in CA but I dont think thats a feasible local. Oregon or Washington may be better.

You guys are going great! All great thoughts. We also need to consider land prices

I think if you stay out of the desirable areas you can find land for a decent price. Funding IS the big issue. I am willing to labor away sun up to sun down but have no money right now.

I have heard great things about Idaho. Mild winters good ground lots of forest sadly it's along move for many of us.

Same here

Mild is not how I would describe the winter days I have been in Idaho lol but it is at the top of my list for sure. Land can be had for reasonable costs.

I would live in Alaska so anywhere in the lower 48 is a ok with me

Are they as bad as Wyoming and Montana winters???

The cost of building supplies up there is astronomical!!!

I would say that Idaho gets the same winters as Montana. Maybe not as harsh but I have not lived in either place

I know Alaska is not an option, my wife wont move there. I am just saying snow does not bother me.

My place in minnesota would be great its 70+ acres and If it comes down to it I think it would be a great place. River on two sides a moraine on the third and a paved road with an easily blown bridge on the fourth.

Also great soil clean water only 30' down and the cold is only bad maybe a week that could be the repopulation week lol.

repopulation week, priceless

Sounds like you have a great place up their Greaser. Are you living on the land now?

Hahahaha LOL I'm surprised your cool with a bunch off people building and living on YOUR land.
How would our constitution be set up??? We have to protect people's rights

No unfortunately I am on the outskirts of a small town it was a fixer upper we were going to spend 5 years in that was 7 years ago. I really want to build on it this spring but I am afraid that they will explode the taxes soon and I would lose the house and the land then.

I hope greaser wouldn't do it but we do have to realize he had the right to force us to leave his land at anytime

What's the population like. And firearms laws

So you have family that are co owners??? How would they feel? Are they thinking about a shtf scenario at all?

We also need to consider opsec. So we may have to stop talking about location on the open forum at some point

Well I would think that if we really want to do this we will have to buy land, even if its from Greaser to protect everyones interests. The legal aspect should be very simple. If someone wants to tie a bunch of stuff up in words on paper then I dont really want to "survive" with them.

Well saying a state should not be a problem, anything more specific should be private.

I agree. Maybe equal voting rights would be good or we have the properties divided up in away that folks are happy and are all secure, I still believe that when I give
My word I keep it. I'm just not sure what would need to be set up if anything legally

Since it seems no one can buy the property out right maybe we set up a corporation and we all are voting members or something

I agree buying land and making everyone an equal partner would be the easiest way to get I going, my area has turkey pheasant ducks geese quail deer bear rabbit squirrel all fish and I am sure a few more food stuffs I am missing.

Glad we are in the same page. Any good land for cattle to graze. I've never been up your way. Closest I've come is the eastern U.P. of Michigan

There are beef and milk cattle all around us.

Sweet! Do you know how long your growing season is?

May to Sept usually but a green house can extend that.

My mom want to know how many hours away from large cities you are if you think this breaks opsec and you don't want it posted on the thread pm me it I can give you my email

Or I can give you my email. I'm talking to my family and posting sorry

I am at least 40 min from a town of around 10k and that's the closest.

Nice!!! My dad said don't move!!!

At some point we need to crunch some numbers on people per acre that could be supported and how many people are serious about this. I believe this would be great for me. How's the economy and job market in your area?

My dad is retired LEO military and has construction skills. He has a bunch off college degrees but I'm not sure what they all are. My mom is a occupational therapist and can garden bake sew and can her produce. We can hunt and process game and farm critters and my dad and I love to shoot. My mom need some practice but she isn't to bad.

My wife is great with crafting and is awsome with kids. She could run the daycare and help garden

If I'm single with no kids so that's not a problem. My mom would be willing to help since both of hers are grown up and she misses her little kids LOL how many of us have dogs? Better yet hunting dogs?

No hunting dog here. But would train one if needed. Miss me some pheasant hunting

I have 2 GSD's not sure how they would do with a ton of people though they are pretty protective especially of kids.

Well we would all have our own house, shouldnt be any more of an issue then what you encounter now.

I have my gsp she loves to hunt but she was the first dog I trained so she is a little ruff around the edges when it comes to hunting. But she LOVES PEOPLE AND THINKS SHE IS A KID SO SHE LOVES TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM.

[censored] you're all starting to sound really serious about this <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The whole "independent nation" might just be a pipe dream, I doubt the US would let you do anything like this. Buying an island somewhere might be a better option.

How would you deal with state/federal laws you don't agree with, etc? It could become a new Waco.

True and we can have fenced in yards

No we STAY LEGAL AND LEGIT. NO CRAZY ILIGAL THINGS. We would look more like a
Small suburb than a compound but when SHTF we roll out the razor wire.

We. Don't look like a compound. Because the locals would freak out.

Well what about the trenches and op's??

Well then location is pretty important, you want somewhere state law fits your ideas the most.

New Hampshire maybe? Land is probably expensive there though.

Do we need standardized weapons or what ever you have.

another idea would just for it to be a bug out location. Some folks could live there full time and others could stage supplies and stuff.

Oh I don't plan on it lol

There are jobs for people willing to work but most are manual labor.

I believe some would have to do that.

Same here and I'll work hard

You mean the ditches and deer stands <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure we could standardize all weapons maybe three possible options you can chose from for rifle AK AR FAL and I'm not sure we can do that with side arms

Yeah thats what I meant <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well hidden no one knows they are there

Yeah it could be that you have to have a military type rifle in 5.56 7.62 or 7.62x39 keep the ammo simpler.

Yep also like 9mm 40s&w and 45acp

I think most of us have at least on or two of the common cals.

Or all of them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

DO any dogs have a .50 BMG?

I think we are serious about it for the most part. Could it happen, yes. Will it happen, who knows.

I am constantly trying to better my families life and will work whatever it takes to get there. Right now unfortunately my reality is that here in AR no one is willing to pay employees what they are worth. I have over 12 years experience in granite countertops and cant find a job for more then 15 an hour, its sad. But at the same time I can get a labor job pushing a broom with no responsibility for 12 an hour.

I would much rather work 12+ hour days building a future for my family. Whether its with a group or by myself. Not having sons, the group sounds better. My little brother is on board to help me when he can but he has his own life to live.

So yes I want something like this to happen in my life.

I got a 9mm and a twelve gauge and I know how to use both.

LOL +1

Problem with MN is we would spend all summer cutting wood for winter lol. That and a much shorter growing season. Im thinking the Ozarks or smokies would be best.

I think with a community we could dedicate one week to wood processing. If done right should be able to supply everyone with the effort.

Nothing poisonous to bite you up here though.

this is the fastest I have ever seen a thread grow to four pages lol

But you got mosquitoes bad <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> its a trade off lol

LOL is that saying something I think so.

Bah you get used to it. Lol

Yeah and the mosquitoes are the size of blue jays.

When I used to smoke cigarettes they where never a big deal for me anyway

Here they are tiny but leave a huge welt. Barely bigger then fruit flys

I hate those things ugh

A good trade item. Whiskey works well also.

Ammo might be as good as gold too.

Always but last resort only.

True better just to make booze <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

And not the good stuff lol

Yes they are, I think fresh food will be hard to come by for a lot of people and will allways be something to barter. Heck just being able and WILLING to work with your hands will be of great value. How many folks honestly know what it takes to build a sound structure to live in by themselves with no help? let alone grow their own food, people do need some help and a small group makes a lot of sense too me. Know your neighbors <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

IM pretty good at canning but I have bad luck with gardens lol

We have been getting into vacuum sealing.

Well we need to seriously consider this and we ALL need to see when where and how this could happen. Everyone start looking for land, we need to consider state and local laws, taxes, environment, population in those areas BE CAREFUL WITH OPSEC.

I use that for frozen meat it cuts way down on freezer burn.

My moms gardens are awesome. I've never seen so much produce from such little plots

The great thing is if we have cattle we can fertilize the gardens. We will need fuel storage tanks and a tractor or two to help us with work. Eventually it would be cool if we could get a few draft horse teams for a green work force

You can fertilize the garden with about anything. Its called compost <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yep but it takes a little time for some stuff to break down. I wonder how many would want to position supplies but not live there??? And how many families/ people are we going to support?

Dry food can be kept almost indefinitely with it also.

5 to 10 at the most I think families that is.

I also agree that there is a line that to many people would really stand out. But lots of hands for work and security are nice.

Also we need to not rush this. We need to check this out from all angles.

You can run vehicles on a wood stove. Been wanting to fool with it.

Me too!!

Be awsome to need next to no fuel

Or we could just have a big still and run them on ethanol.

Them or us ???

yeah

Gasification it can be dangerous if not done right be careful if you play with it, but yes it works fine.

The Missouri Ozarks has all that. No BIG mountains, but some rather large "Hills" Good country, lakes, rivers, streams and farmland for crops and livestock. PLUS a lot of folks there are already know how to productively use the land. Lot of areas that are not "Taken" by already built up communities. Might I suggest something around Van Burean or Eminence. (just google them) Roughly halfway across the country so ALL the dogs from East to West and North to South would all not have to travel across the entire country.

PLUS if we all showed up en mass we cold just take over. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Oh and Might I add that there are a lot of mules around in this area. Mules equal NOT needing mechanized (motor powered) equipment. And there are Amish and Mennonites around in this area as well that could help with a lot of things. IF the Dogs proved to be good neighbors I'm sure they would help and welcome the influx of additional Like minded individuals and for the security as well.

Oh yeah, there are also a bunch of "Campsites" on the river(S) that have individual "Cabins" in small groups.

In Missouri you can own Fully automatic weapons, Suppressed weapons, and we have concealed carry. Oh and Now you can legally have and carry Switchblades as best as I can remember!

Great info Randy ill check it out!!!

Oh I forgot to add, IF we "Took over" Van Burean we would have a virtually unlimited water source via "Big Springs" it averages 288 MILLION gallons of water a day output. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHFUX14CoMk

There is also a smaller one not to far away (6 miles outside Eminence)called alley springs which flows 81 million gallons of water a day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKvPSebFIlI

Sweet and what are your average temperatures for summer and winter? Growing season? My mom has checked out Arkansas before for a possible retreat local

Probably a lot like your up there Mike. We're somewhat South of you. The growing season is conducive to all sorts of crops/truck gardens and the winters aren't really severe. Oh it gets cold, but not where you can't cope with it with just a little prep and it doesn't stay there long.

I was wondering about summer heat. If we are working for a living are we going to cook

What are land prices like?

It gets hot in Missouri not as bad as the deep south but plenty hot.

I just want us dying of heat stroke when we are tending the gardens

Just have to watch out for the snakes down there.

Wont die of heat stroke, people have been farming here forever.

True!!!

I guess we need to get a idea of where the group wants

Why doesnt everyone list a top 3 in order from first choice. No reasons needed, just a list. Maybe a clear location will arise.

1. Montana
2. Idaho
3. Arkansas

Minnesota
Missouri
Montana

I'll do some research and get back to y'all

Missouri
Tennessee
Arkansas